


I See Clarity In Raindrops

by NilDesperandum



Category: Holby City
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, F/F, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Kissing in the Rain, Rain, Storms, berena - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 10:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18990619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NilDesperandum/pseuds/NilDesperandum
Summary: Three times Bernie and Serena find themselves out in the rain.





	I See Clarity In Raindrops

**Author's Note:**

> This is what my mind comes up with when I find myself looking out the window only to see it continuously rain.

The world seemed truly colourless, muted by the storms and general gloom of a miserable afternoon. And there stood Bernie among the raindrops wondering why she hadn’t thought to check the weather forecast before her return from Afghanistan.

She had gotten used to dry desert lands and so normally when she was back home, she enjoyed the rain and the peacefulness it brought to her otherwise chaotic life, but this was just too much. She needed to find someplace dry and workout where she was going to stay since her son didn’t appear to currently be in.

Spotting an empty taxi pulling into the rank across the road, Bernie lifted her arm, waving a little to get the driver's attention as she ran towards it. She was all but reaching for the door handle, a small amount or relief creeping up within, when she felt herself being hit in the face with something. She staggered back, blinking water from her eyes, only to see a brunette haired woman shutting her umbrella and about to take her taxi.

"Hey!" Bernie just about dodged being hit a second time as the supposed taxi-thief whipped around to face her. There was a look of bewilderment that crossed the woman's face before it settled into a deep scowl.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, you happen to be stealing my taxi!" Bernie had been expecting some minor confrontation but what happened next, startled her somewhat.

Almost instantly the scowl on the other woman’s face melted away as eyes widened in confusion as she looked back and forth along the pavement where they stood.

"But I didn't..."

"You did," Bernie said, a little bit softer, as her anger began to wash away with the rain. When expressive eyes met her own, she found herself lost for a moment and a sense of understanding seemed to pass between the two of them. There was no malicious intent just a simple mistake and Bernie felt somewhat silly at her previous outburst.

"Hey, ladies!" yelled the taxi driver. "Either one of you gets in or I am going!"

Stepping back, Bernie gestured for the other woman to get in before she started to head off down the street.

"No, wait!"

She turned around to find a gentle smile aimed in her direction.

"Share it with me."

"What?"

"Share the taxi with me," the woman said again, gesturing to the car. "We obviously both need it, maybe you more than me."

Bernie ran a hand through sodden locks, feeling a little sheepish. She really wanted out of this weather and if it just happened to be that she found the woman to be marginally attractive, then it was a bonus. "Are you sure you don't mind sharing?"

The resulting laugh left Bernie with a wide smile; the sound was so genuine, so beautiful, and just enough to make her day that little bit better.

"Come on, it'll be fine.”

 They hadn't been in the car a minute before her mystery companion spoke again.

"You really are soaked!" Bernie frowned a little as she wiped away the water droplets still running down her face and stuttered an apology.

"It's alright," reassured the woman.

"Where to ladies?" the driver asked from the front seat, eyes reflecting in the rear-view mirror.

The brunette answered first, rattling off the address in an area that sounded vaguely familiar to Bernie. The driver nodded and then turned his gaze to her.

"And you?"

Bernie gave the address to a budget hotel, knowing it would do until she figured out what her next move would be.

"No!" the woman exclaimed from her side. "That's practically on the other side of town! You can't possibly go that long in the state you’re in! No," she shook her head, "you're coming with me. It’s the least I can do." The last bit was directed at the driver as well as Bernie, setting the taxi on its course.

"Wait a minute," protested Bernie, her earlier anger beginning to resurface. "I appreciate you sharing the taxi, but you I don't even know you!" Her day had been long, tiring, and mostly full of misfortunes. Now some stranger was calling the shots? Bernie wanted to just go to the hotel, dry off and relax.

The other woman turned in her seat slightly, offering a hand to Bernie. "Serena Campbell. Divorcee, mother of one and lover of a fine Shiraz. I’m also a Surgeon and Clinical Lead of AAU at Holby City Hospital."

She paused for a sense of finality. "There. Now you know me. We're going to my house."

Bernie could only nod her head in agreement as she closed her weary eyes and leaned back against the somewhat comfortable seat. The steady sound of the beating rain against the car instilled a peaceful lull inside the taxi, supplying her with a much needed rest. Her formidable but compassionate companion offered idle chatter as the car drove on towards its destination.

* * *

It was only seconds after she stepped outside the hospital that she felt the droplets against her skin. It was just a drizzle at first, no more than a nuisance but it only lasted a moment before it began to fall in earnest. The water hit her hard, sharp and cold. Thunder cracked in the distance and from her position in the peace garden, Bernie looked up to the sky above and allowed a few tears to escape.

It had been a difficult day, a heavy shift. Everything seemed hollow, routine and slightly pointless and she was starting to doubt if it was even worth it, this constant struggle with life and death. She thought after meeting Serena that setting up the Trauma Unit together had been the right thing to do but now she was beginning to doubt herself. She began pacing around, not sure of what to do, when she heard a voice calling out to her.

“Bernie? What on earth!? You're soaked.”

She turns to see Serena coming towards her with an umbrella in hand, doing her best to try and protect herself from the elements. She can see the concern on the woman’s face and knows she’s probably heard about Bernie storming out of theatre and off the ward following the death of her patient.

“Bernie? Are you okay?” she asks. 

“I don’t really know how to answer that,” she shrugs. “Not really I guess.”

Serena has known the Trauma Surgeon long enough by now to know that it will do no good to press further for a moment and so she doesn’t. Despite the weather, she simply stands just behind her friend.

"It's been raining for days," she says quietly.

Bernie shakes her head.

"Don't Serena."

"Don't what?"

"Do the typical English thing of speaking about the weather, I can't... I can't do this."

A hand entwines itself within Bernie’s own and she finds herself gripping it tightly as she turns. Serena’s gaze is steady and patient. The compassion is evident.

"It’s all too much; I have to get out of here."

“Running away isn’t going to help Bernie.”

“Why does it all feel so pointless?”

“It’s okay to be feeling like this. It’s okay. It’s just been a tough month, too much sadness.” Serena paused for a second before continuing. “Stormy days are inevitable, but it never rains forever.”  

Bernie took in a shuddering breath as she again looked up at the dark cloud covered sky. She smiled sadly.

“I’m sorry Serena.”

“Don’t be, it’s okay.”

Despite the rain still falling, Bernie let go of Serena’s hand so she could sit down on a nearby bench. She closed her eyes, gathered herself and breathed. The air moved in and out of her lungs just like it always did.

"You don't have to stay," she said quietly, feeling a presence now beside her.

"No, I don't. But I want to." Serena once again reached out a hand and Bernie didn’t hesitate to take it into her own. They remained sitting there shoulder to shoulder looking out into the peace garden.

The rain eventually tired of its continuous downpour and instead turned back into a steady drizzle. A small shaft of light appeared from between the clouds, bringing a little warmth to Bernie’s chilled skin.

Neither of them mentioned the weather as they eventually stood a few minutes later to head back into the hospital.

* * *

With a sigh, Serena takes the umbrella that sits near the front door and follows her. The rain falls in hard drops and she grits her teeth. If she was angry with her before, it’s only going to worsen in this weather. Bernie is a few steps in front of her, completely soaked from head to toe already.

“Bernie!” she yells out angrily.

The Surgeon doesn't stop walking and the rain starts hitting Serena from the side. She feels the cold seeping through her clothes.

She yells out her name one more time and this time Bernie stops and turns around. Water runs down her face, and her hair is plastered to her head.

“What are you doing?”

She may be angry but Serena closes the distance between them quickly and holds the umbrella over them both, for whatever good it may do.

“Will you quit being an idiot?”

“Go back inside Serena,” Bernie says shaking her head.

“You can’t stay out here.”

Bernie scowls and turns, walking into the rain again. Serena follows her, her temper rising.

“Stop walking!” she shouts. She wants to shake Bernie for being so stubborn. “I know you're angry, but you're not doing any favours to anyone by being out in this.”

Bernie whirls around and Serena stops in her tracks, taken aback by the sudden movement.

“I just want to be alone,” she tells her, voice loud so she can be heard over the intensifying rain.

At that moment, as Bernie turns her back on her once again, she's about to scream in frustration when a sudden rush of wind hits and her umbrella turns inside out. She's instantly soaked. She yells in frustration because of the cold and Bernie looks back at her. Shivering, Serena struggles as she tries to get the umbrella back to how it should be but then Bernie’s there, pulling on the umbrella as well. They look at one another and Serena willingly takes a step closer to the other woman.

“You’re going to catch a cold,” she tells her as they finally manage to pull the umbrella back in place.

“Whose fault is that?”

A frown appears on Bernie’s face and Serena just wants to grab her arm and drag her back inside, where it’s warm and dry.

But she can tell Bernie is still angry. The woman lets go of the umbrella and takes a step back, standing under the rain again. Serena sighs.

“Bernie, come on,” she says, raising her hand to reach for her, but giving up half way through. She lets her hand drop to her side.

Bernie crosses her arms, shakes her head a little. Serena knows her well enough by now, knows she wants to say something. It frustrates her even more that she doesn’t, that she chooses to distance herself from her rather than actually talking through the issue.

“Will you just come back inside so we can finish talking about this?” she asks, after Bernie still doesn’t say anything.

Bernie sighs and looks away.

“Bernie, this is senseless!”

Serena’s tired and is about to give up. She’s ready to leave the other woman outside, consequences be damned, if that’s what she wants.

“Is it?” Bernie exclaims, “I’m glad you think so.” She turns her back on Serena and starts to walk away once again.

“Stop,” Serena yells, refusing to go after her one more time. “I can’t keep chasing after you!”

Bernie spins around . “I didn’t ask for you to come after me.”

“No, you didn’t, but we were arguing about something and you’re not supposed to just storm out into the rain in the middle of it.”

“I’m _done_ arguing about it.”

“No, you’re not. You’re still angry, and you won’t tell me why.” They stand there, staring at each other for what feels like ages and Serena is almost certain that this isn’t going anywhere. But she can’t let Bernie leave like this. This isn’t how it was supposed to go.

“It’s just a charity dinner and he offered to take me, I didn’t think…” she trails off, doesn’t know if there is anything else she can say at this point. “I won’t go if it bothers you so much, but if you’d just tell me why? Why are you so mad about this?”

“Because I bloody love you and it should be me, that’s why!”

Bernie’s eyes go wide, scared of the repercussions from what’s she’s just revealed and she’s all but ready to run off down the street.

Serena momentarily freezes before she drops the umbrella and surges forward. She no doubt takes Bernie by surprise but its mere moments before she kissing her back, her arms pulling her in close. It’s such a cliché scene. They’re both completely wet still standing under the pouring rain and Serena knows they’ll probably be feeling the cold later, but she can’t bring herself to care.

Bernie’s eyes close momentarily as she pulls back slightly. “This is it for me Serena, no one else.” she murmurs. “This is _it_ ,” she repeats, quiet and overcome.

Serena gently brings their foreheads together; so their faces are partially shielded from the rain and then proceeds to show the other woman just how she feels. Bernie, her magnificent, idiotic Trauma Surgeon who she wants to often throttle, has just said she loved her for the first time.

_Finally_.

“I bloody love you too, Berenice Wolfe.”


End file.
